Are these 3 german M42 helmets originals or reproductions?

**Monuir** · 12-12-2010, 04:36 PM

This is the first helmet. According to the seller it is Dug up on the positions of Elite Forces - division WIKING near Kharkov.

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This is the second helmet. According to the seller it found on the positions of Elite Forces - division WIKING near Kharkov city (Ukraine). Found at the trench line in 2010.

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This is the last and third helmet. According to the seller it is found in Estonia. Dug up summer 2010 from a bunker on the positions of Elite Forces - division NORDLAND near SinnimaeBlue Hills (Estonia). "Elite helmet!"

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**Espenlaub Militaria** · 12-12-2010 04:36 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**davejb** · 12-12-2010, 04:54 PM

Well they are M42s but badly decayed as for the story, the seller could be telling you anything just to sell as SS, how much is the asking price, personally i wouldnt be tempted to pay any high prices for these, perhaps a few dollars each, there is no guarantee that these came from the locations quoted or the units they came from

**Monuir** · 12-12-2010, 05:10 PM

The asking price is 110 dollars for all 3 helmets including shipping.

**davejb** · 12-12-2010, 05:39 PM

The main problem i can see at the moment is the decay, these must be very thin in places and could fall apart without some form of preservation, with out this you could end up with $110 of rust flakes on the floor, as for the price, i wouldnt pay that

**Monuir** · 12-12-2010, 05:45 PM

oh i dont want rust flakes for 110 bucks! The seller would send them with train from LV so i dont think they would be whole when i get them to Sweden if they are thin... Thanks very much mate

**Glenn66** · 12-12-2010, 06:00 PM

What do you plan to do with them? I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder but to me they are more or less junk...

**Monuir** · 12-12-2010, 06:13 PM

put them in my private museum! I think they are as beautiful as a 1000 euro helmet and i like battlefield relics, knowing a soldier had them in battle! but i dont want rust flakes ^^

**DougB** · 12-12-2010, 06:14 PM

Your buying piles of rust in the temporary shape of German helmets. Naturally they are all SS helmets. Probably worn by Knights Cross holders. Or they could have been worn by Osttruppen conscripted to clean latrines by the 284th Security Battalion 300 miles behind the front lines as well.

In 5 years when you have 3 rust piles on your dresser you can put them in the ground to help with your flower garden as iron is always needed to grow good roses. :-)

**Monuir** · 12-12-2010, 06:55 PM

Well i dont think they are from 300 miles behind lines, but i dont think they are from ss either, but from soldiers. I think they are from kharkov and SinnimaeBlue Hills as theese helmets are by espenlaub militaria's ebay store, and i think thoose guys are always honest, but i guess you can never know. Although i did not know that they would be turn in to rust flakes so easy, so i now decided not to buy them, thanks davejb for the help!

If these iteems where put in a glased monter, how long would they last if no one touches them? Is there anything that could be done to preserve iteems like theese? I dont want to repaint or in any other way change my relics visibly.

**davejb** · 12-12-2010, 09:16 PM

Some people like to leave them as is in a dry environment, and normally they will remain fairly sturdy but with the condition these are in they would need some rust conditioning treatment in order to harden the crusty and flaky parts,but i believe this can sometimes alter the colour or produce a sheen to the metal, there are various treatments available, some will cure the rusting effect ie stop the process, some will add a hardening effect turning the rust into hard metal again, but there will be a change in the overall look somewhere, i know that Cricketchris on the forum has many relics but i think he would think twice about these as well